The Week in Bio #36
Research highlights from the week
A genome-wide atlas of human cell morphology (link). Paper outlining a large-scale pooled optical CRISPR screen to identify links between genes and cell morphology.
Emergence of binding and catalysis from a designed generalist binding protein (link). Preprint outlining the combination of chemical screening and de novo protein design to introduce new functions into a four-helix protein.
Single-AAV CRISPR editing of skeletal muscle in non-human primates with NanoCas, an ultracompact nuclease (link). Preprint from Mammoth Biosciences describing a new ultracompact CRISPR system around a third of the length of spCas9.
Visualizing sub-organellar lipid distribution using correlative light and electron microscopy (link). Preprint describing a new imaging method to quantify lipid densities in membranes.
Phage defense and genome editing using novel retrons sourced from isolated environmental bacteria (link). Preprint describing the use of retrons for genome editing in E. coli.
Ancient origin of an urban underground mosquito (link). Preprint deciphering the evolutionary origin of the London Underground Mosquito.
Randomizing the human genome by engineering recombination between repeat elements (link). Paper outlining the use of prime editing and recombinases to scramble the human genome.
A human metabolic map of pharmacological perturbations reveals drug modes of action (link). High-throughput characterisation of therapeutics using metabolomics.
In vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in mice identifies genetic modifiers of somatic CAG repeat instability in Huntington’s disease (link). Paper identifying genes that enhance and suppress repeat expansion in Huntington’s disease.